Serdar Karagöz, chairperson and general manager of Anadolu Agency (AA), opened the first exhibition of the Istanbul Photo Awards 2025 at CSO Ada Ankara, emphasizing the profound role of documentary photography in understanding society and the world.
Speaking at the event he hosted, Karagöz reflected on how every photograph in the exhibition serves as a silent storyteller, bearing witness to emotions, events and truths.
He highlighted the winning image of the year, taken by Palestinian photographer Saeed Jaras, which poignantly captures parents in Gaza grieving over the lifeless bodies of their children killed in Israeli airstrikes. Recalling that a similarly heart-wrenching photo had won the award the previous year, Karagöz expressed sorrow over the ongoing suffering that continues to mark global conflicts without meaningful change.
“The records we make in 2024 and 2025 show little difference; pain, tears, grief, genocide, bloodshed and violence continue to dominate,” he said.
Karagöz underlined that photographers documenting humanity’s most critical moments – from Gaza to Ukraine, Damascus to New York – are in essence conversing with history. He explained that the Istanbul Photo Awards reiterates a vital truth: Every photograph with documentary value is not merely an image, but a language through which we understand the state of society and the world. In today’s age, images have taken the place of raw reality, shaping public perception and reconstructing truth in their shadows. As a result, photographs have evolved from simple documents into powerful vehicles for meaning-making. He noted that the media does not merely transmit information but fundamentally shapes how we see and interpret the world.
He recalled iconic images such as a refugee father carrying his baby in Bosnia-Herzegovina, a child fleeing during the Vietnam War and a small hand clutching a teddy bear under the rubble in Gaza – images that have transcended news stories to become indelible symbols in the collective consciousness. Karagöz stressed that platforms like the Istanbul Photo Awards have a responsibility not only to promote artistic and aesthetic excellence but also to safeguard collective memory and shape media representation.
Karagöz also detailed AA’s commitment to documenting history, sharing that the agency’s archive includes over 13 million images, including 100,000 photos from the Syrian conflict, 150,000 from the Russia-Ukraine war and 3,000 from clashes between Iran and Israel, all distributed globally by AA.
“Thousands of key moments and pivotal points in dozens of lives have been recorded by Anadolu Agency for history,” he said.
Turning to the competition itself, Karagöz explained that Istanbul Photo Awards aims to honor the dedication and resilience of photographers working under challenging conditions. Since its inception, around 20,000 photographers have submitted some 206,000 photographs to this global platform. This year’s contest attracted nearly 22,000 entries from around the world, including countries as diverse as Brazil, Nepal, Canada, Nigeria, Palestine and Japan. A distinguished international jury carefully reviewed submissions across ten categories, evaluating the moments captured by roughly 2,000 photographers.
Closing his remarks, Karagöz expressed hope for a more hopeful future, saying: “We continue to document 2025. Hopefully, when we prepare for the 2026 Istanbul Photo Awards exhibition, we will have some relief and good news to share on the international stage.”
Following his speech, AA Visual News Director Aykut Ünlüpınar provided insights into the works displayed, and attendees received a photo album featuring the winning entries.
The exhibition was attended by notable figures, including TRT General Manager Mehmet Zahid Sobacı, AA Deputy General Managers Yusuf Özhan and Oğuz Enis Peru, AA Coordinators Oğuz Karakaş and Yahya Bostan, along with ambassadors from China, Panama and Bosnia-Herzegovina, academics and prominent members of the international press and photography community.
Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Ambassador Mirsada Colakovic praised the photographs from Palestine for their honest portrayal of life’s harsh realities. She highlighted her favorite image, titled “Surrounded,” taken in Kenya and congratulated the organizers on their efforts in staging the Istanbul Photo Awards.
The exhibition features a selection of 150 photographs, including the award-winning works, documenting a broad spectrum of urgent global stories. Visitors encounter images that bring to life the ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, the devastating floods that have swept through East Africa and the raw power of volcanic eruptions in Iceland. Alongside these crises, the photographs capture moments of human resilience and spirit: athletes competing at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Afghan women striving for their rights, survivors emerging from the notorious Sednaya Prison, Brazilian surfers battling towering waves and migrants risking dangerous journeys in search of safety.
The competition recognizes excellence across news, sports, environment, portrait and daily life photography, encompassing both single images and series.
This year’s contest is organized with communication sponsorship from Turkcell, with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) supporting as the overseas event sponsor and Turkish Airlines providing partial transportation sponsorship.
The exhibition will remain open to the public until July 20.
